Story by Jennifer Hunnicutt
The aims of the CMX are to provide a practical exercise to confirm and reinforce an understanding of the strategic issues that impact on effective governance, inter-departmental operations, internal security and the provision of essential services. In addition, the CMX provides a significant learning opportunity and experience for the NDC staff and instructors so they can manage and run similar exercises in the future.
“This CMX is very important for the students to develop and practice strategic planning, to get a real feel for inter-agency co-operation and risk management”, said Lt. Col. Raffaelle Mauriello, the NTM-I Advisor in NDC-I coordinating the support to the NDC CMX.
The CMX was also visited by Commanding General NTM-I, LTG Michael Barbero, who said that he was very impressed by the quality of discussion and cross-ministerial diversity of the class. Together with sMG Ali Al Faraji, the Commandant of the NDC-I, they stressed the high importance of this step toward self-sustainability of Iraq.
The 5-day intensive CMX involved significant planning that included a recce visit by two members of the NDC Rome team in June. “The recce was essential in order to tailor the scenario to the current realities of Iraq, to place the crisis in an appropriate context and to provide a suitable vehicle for learning – in this instance for the benefit of both students and NDC-I staff”, said Col. Sandy Guptill, the Exercise Controller from NDC Rome.